Magpie DVD review Search Magpie DVD review Smarter and sexier than Blue Peter, this 70s children's entertainment show had an occult theme tune and an ex-Bond girl... tumblr "One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy..." ran the famous signature tune by the Murgatroyd Band of archetypal seventies show Magpie. ITV launched the show in 1968, ten years after its BBC rival Blue Peter. Initially a forty minute programme transmitted once a week, Magpie then ran twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays until the summer of 1980. The presenters were Susan Stranks, the late Tony Bastable, Pete Brady, Douglas Rae, Mick Robertson, Jenny Hanley and Tommy Boyd. Sadly only about 10% of all the programmes made still exist. This collection features twelve of the best episodes from 1972 to 1980. As one would expect from Network, the DVD is well presented with a range of extras. The shows are arranged in chronological order, each one prefaced by the famous Thames "river and skyline" ident.

The first from 1972 is something of a landmark as Tony Bastable, who later fronted ITV's Eighties computer show Database, takes over as producer and is replaced on the studio floor by Mick Robertson, looking like a cross between Brian May and Marc Bolan. An item about a new football boot is followed by a rather dry historical scene about Puritans and Royalists fronted by Susan Stranks (once Juke Box Jury's "typical teenager"). Things suddenly feel very educational, a criticism often levelled at Blue Peter. It seems Magpie wasn't averse to cramming in as many facts as possible when it suited them. The next item about horse-drawn ploughing, would hardly grab the kids of today. The final item features a hilarious looking (from a modern technology point of view) "portable" studio camera which is so big the cameraman needs to wear a cumbersome support to carry it. The next show was trailed as a Halloween special featuring Peter Cushing, a pity it doesn't feature on the disc. The next programme moves on to 1975 and is a special on canals. By now, ex-Bond girl Jenny Hanley has replaced Susan Stranks.

Jenny and Douglas Rae feature in a filmed sequence taking a canal trip whilst Mick Robertson gets the short straw, remaining in the studio with a model boat and some canal facts. Perhaps the most interesting canal fact is that a Chinaman invented the lock. Like the canals, this show has a very leisurely pace which is fine as a documentary but as kids TV it must have left the children of the day wondering what was on the other channel. Magpie was very much a product of its time. This is reflected in a show from 1976 which features Mick Robertson spending an afternoon with James Hunt prior to the Monaco Grand Prix. The 1976 Christmas show is included too. Originally transmitted on Christmas Eve it features traditional carol singing, a reminder of the Magpie appeal (which unlike its rival asked for hard cash) and an unusually positive approach to graffiti in Luton. Disc two features six programmes from 1977 to 1980, beginning with a retrospective of a summer tour of France linked by Mick in a studio set of a French cafe. A heavily-permed Tommy Boyd joins the team in the next show, which has an item on the Titanic, Indian bead craft and Boyd's cycle trip to Amsterdam.

Another show features David McKee, creator of Mr Benn, as a judge on a Christmas card competition, an item on Yoga and Tommy Boyd spending a day with the Navy. The 1979 review of the year looks at the best Magpie moments of the previous twelve months including film of a young Sharron Davies training for the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The highlight of this disc is a live show from Beaulieu, the estate of Lord Montague famed for its Motor museum. Cue lots of dressing up, vintage cars and a close-up look at Donald Campbell's Bluebird. The final episode on the disc is a mixture of cricket, tap-dancing and yet another retrospective this time of Jenny Hanley's most daredevil moments. Extras Disc One features a 1971 documentary "My Brother David". which explores the difficulties of bringing up a special needs child. Introduced by Tony Bastable the film is then narrated by David's elder sister with contributions from their parents. The sound quality varies and is a little indistinct at times but the documentary is well made and is a worthwhile inclusion on the DVD. Disc Two's main extra is around 20 minutes of "orphaned" film extracts from missing shows.

Virtually all seem to feature Susan Stranks, though there are a few short extracts of Stranks with her original co-hosts Tony Bastable and Pete Brady, a Canadian ex-Radio One DJ often referred to as the "forgotten star of Magpie" due to the fact most of his time on the show appears to be lost or wiped. The other extra is a PDF of the first Magpie Annual, brought out to compete with the legendary Blue Peter books. Magpie, although fondly remembered as a programme, doesn't have many stand-out moments. The jaunty theme tune and well-fed mascot called Murgatroyd is perhaps better recalled than any one show. Back in the Seventies some households were actively BBC or ITV. You either watched Blue Peter or Magpie but seldom both. With only twelve years to make an impact against the now fifty year old BBC institution it's almost inevitable which show garners most nostalgia. This collection serves as a reminder of how well made and above all well researched Magpie was in its heyday. Some episodes stand up remarkably well, others seem painfully slow. The first four years of the programme are not represented by a single episode which is a shame, presumably this period suffered most from the wiping process.

The extras are fine but the opportunity for a decent documentary about the show, which could have placed the orphaned film extracts in context, seems to have been missed. Show: Magpie is released on 29th June. 2/5 Magpie DVD review | Den of Geek Search Magpie DVD review Smarter and sexier than Blue Peter, this 70s children's entertainment show had an occult theme tune and an ex-Bond girl... j "One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy..." ran the famous signature tune by the Murgatroyd Band of archetypal seventies show Magpie. ITV launched the show in 1968, ten years after its BBC rival Blue Peter. Initially a forty minute programme transmitted once a week, Magpie then ran twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays until the summer of 1980. The presenters were Susan Stranks, the late Tony Bastable, Pete Brady, Douglas Rae, Mick Robertson, Jenny Hanley and Tommy Boyd. Sadly only about 10% of all the programmes made still exist. This collection features twelve of the best episodes from 1972 to 1980.

As one would expect from Network, the DVD is well presented with a range of extras. The shows are arranged in chronological order, each one prefaced by the famous Thames "river and skyline" ident. The first from 1972 is something of a landmark as Tony Bastable, who later fronted ITV's Eighties computer show Database, takes over as producer and is replaced on the studio floor by Mick Robertson, looking like a cross between Brian May and Marc Bolan. An item about a new football boot is followed by a rather dry historical scene about Puritans and Royalists fronted by Susan Stranks (once Juke Box Jury's "typical teenager"). Things suddenly feel very educational, a criticism often levelled at Blue Peter. It seems Magpie wasn't averse to cramming in as many facts as possible when it suited them. The next item about horse-drawn ploughing, would hardly grab the kids of today. The final item features a hilarious looking (from a modern technology point of view) "portable" studio camera which is so big the cameraman needs to wear a cumbersome support to carry it.

The next show was trailed as a Halloween special featuring Peter Cushing, a pity it doesn't feature on the disc. The next programme moves on to 1975 and is a special on canals. By now, ex-Bond girl Jenny Hanley has replaced Susan Stranks. Jenny and Douglas Rae feature in a filmed sequence taking a canal trip whilst Mick Robertson gets the short straw, remaining in the studio with a model boat and some canal facts. Perhaps the most interesting canal fact is that a Chinaman invented the lock. Like the canals, this show has a very leisurely pace which is fine as a documentary but as kids TV it must have left the children of the day wondering what was on the other channel. Magpie was very much a product of its time. This is reflected in a show from 1976 which features Mick Robertson spending an afternoon with James Hunt prior to the Monaco Grand Prix. The 1976 Christmas show is included too. Originally transmitted on Christmas Eve it features traditional carol singing, a reminder of the Magpie appeal (which unlike its rival asked for hard cash) and an unusually positive approach to graffiti in Luton.

Disc two features six programmes from 1977 to 1980, beginning with a retrospective of a summer tour of France linked by Mick in a studio set of a French cafe. A heavily-permed Tommy Boyd joins the team in the next show, which has an item on the Titanic, Indian bead craft and Boyd's cycle trip to Amsterdam. Another show features David McKee, creator of Mr Benn, as a judge on a Christmas card competition, an item on Yoga and Tommy Boyd spending a day with the Navy. The 1979 review of the year looks at the best Magpie moments of the previous twelve months including film of a young Sharron Davies training for the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The highlight of this disc is a live show from Beaulieu, the estate of Lord Montague famed for its Motor museum. Cue lots of dressing up, vintage cars and a close-up look at Donald Campbell's Bluebird. The final episode on the disc is a mixture of cricket, tap-dancing and yet another retrospective this time of Jenny Hanley's most daredevil moments. Extras Disc One features a 1971 documentary "My Brother David". which explores the difficulties of bringing up a special needs child.

Introduced by Tony Bastable the film is then narrated by David's elder sister with contributions from their parents. The sound quality varies and is a little indistinct at times but the documentary is well made and is a worthwhile inclusion on the DVD. Disc Two's main extra is around 20 minutes of "orphaned" film extracts from missing shows. Virtually all seem to feature Susan Stranks, though there are a few short extracts of Stranks with her original co-hosts Tony Bastable and Pete Brady, a Canadian ex-Radio One DJ often referred to as the "forgotten star of Magpie" due to the fact most of his time on the show appears to be lost or wiped. The other extra is a PDF of the first Magpie Annual, brought out to compete with the legendary Blue Peter books. Magpie, although fondly remembered as a programme, doesn't have many stand-out moments. The jaunty theme tune and well-fed mascot called Murgatroyd is perhaps better recalled than any one show. Back in the Seventies some households were actively BBC or ITV. You either watched Blue Peter or Magpie but seldom both.

With only twelve years to make an impact against the now fifty year old BBC institution it's almost inevitable which show garners most nostalgia. This collection serves as a reminder of how well made and above all well researched Magpie was in its heyday. Some episodes stand up remarkably well, others seem painfully slow. The first four years of the programme are not represented by a single episode which is a shame, presumably this period suffered most from the wiping process. The extras are fine but the opportunity for a decent documentary about the show, which could have placed the orphaned film extracts in context, seems to have been missed. Show: Magpie is released on 29th June. 2/5 BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Fifty facts about Blue Peter at 50 Fifty facts about Blue Peter at 50 Advertisement Watch some of the most memorable highlights from the past 50 years As Blue Peter celebrates 50 years on air, we look back at some of the show's highlights and institutions. IN THE BEGINNING • Blue Peter, the longest-running children's programme in the world, was first broadcast - for 15 minutes - on 16 October 1958. It was originally supposed to fill a six-week gap in scheduling.

• The show is named after the blue-and-white flag flown on a ship's yard arm to show it is ready to go to sea - suggesting a voyage of discovery for viewers. ADVENT CROWN COMPONENTS Wire coat hangers Four candles (not fork handles) • Although Blue Peter was the brainchild of producer John Hunter Blair in 1958, it was only following the 1962 arrival of Biddy Baxter - together with new director Edward Barnes - that things like appeals, foreign trips, competition, pets and sticky-backed plastic began to appear. • Housewife Margaret Parnell sent in the first idea for the "here's one I made earlier" section in 1963 - and ultimately spent nearly 40 years devising more than 700 "makes". • The Thunderbirds Tracy Island model remains the show's most popular make with more than 100,000 viewers requesting a factsheet. Presenter Anthea Turner still owns the original she crafted on the show in 1993. Another favourite was the Christmas advent crown made from coat hangers and fireproof tinsel.

• On 30 July 1968, ITV launched Magpie - a rival show made by Thames Television which launched on the new licensee's first day of broadcast. The programme, which had a mascot called Murgatroyd the magpie, aimed to be hipper than its BBC counterpart. Blue Peter eventually saw it off in 1980. Blue Peter has won 40 awards in its 50-year history • There have been only six editors in the show's 50-year history. The first was Ms Baxter who stepped up from producer into the newly-created role in 1965. She was followed by Lewis Bronze, Oliver Macfarlane, Steve Hocking, Richard Marson and current editor Tim Levell. • The programme blazed a trail for many subsequent BBC shows by breaking out of the studio and making full use of BBC Television Centre as a location. Initially, this prompted a memo from BBC management warning that "Television Centre is not a place of entertainment". • Blue Peter has won 40 awards, including a special award at the TV Baftas in 1998 for "outstanding contribution to children's television".

PRESENTERS • According to Biddy Baxter, Blue Peter creator John Hunter Blair had two passions - 00 gauge railways and attractive women. The first presenters of the show were 00 gauge railway enthusiast Christopher Trace and 21-year-old Leila Williams, crowned Miss Great Britain the previous year. Daredevil Peter Duncan was a favourite with viewers • Yorkshireman John Noakes presented the programme for 12 and a half years between 1965 and 1978. He left at the age of 45, making him the longest-serving of the 34 Blue Peter presenters. • Anita West had the briefest stint, spending four months on the show - from 7 May to 3 September 1962 - before returning to her acting career. • Yvette Fielding, who was 18 when she joined the show in 1987, was its youngest-ever presenter. • The classic line-up of John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves presented the show for five years from 1967 to 1972.

• Peter Duncan, who wore trademark green-and-white checked outfits, is the only presenter to have had two stints on Blue Peter - between 1980 and 1984, and 1985 and 1986. He was awarded a gold Blue Peter badge in February 2007 in recognition of his work as Chief Scout. Caron Keating presented between November 1986 and January 1990 • Like John Noakes, whose "long fall" earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest freefall parachute jump by a civilian, Peter Duncan became associated with daredevil stunts. He went on to host Duncan Dares after quitting Blue Peter. • In January 1990, Diane-Louise Jordan became Blue Peter's first black presenter. Louise-Jordan, who stayed in the show for six years, now hosts Songs of Praise. • Presenters who became more well-known after leaving the show include John Leslie, who had a relationship with Catherine Zeta Jones while he was in Blue Peter, Sarah Greene and the late Caron Keating.

BLUE PETER ON iPLAYER Blue Peter: Craziest Moments • Greene, who fronted the show from 1980 to 1983, met her future husband, former TV presenter Mike Smith, while she was being filmed learning to dive at the wreck of sunken ship the Mary Rose. • Keating, who hosted the show from 1986 to 1990, died tragically at the age of 41. The daughter of TV presenter Gloria Hunniford, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and died at her mother's home in April 2004. IN ANOTHER LIFE • Prior to working on Blue Peter, Peter Duncan appeared nude in the British film The Lifetaker. He also briefly starred in the cult film, Flash Gordon, in which he was killed by a tree monster. Peter Purves (right) previously starred as Doctor Who's assistant • Singer James Blunt - then James Blount - appeared on the show as a child, as did Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and presenter Konnie Huq.

• Household names who applied to become Blue Peter presenters before they found fame include Gail Porter, Morse star Kevin Whately, The Bill's Todd Carty and Tiswas presenter Sally James. • Peter Purves, who appeared between 1967 and 1978, previously starred as the doctor's assistant in early episodes of hit BBC show Doctor Who. GAFFES AND SCANDALS • Host John Noakes was famously asked to drop his trousers after a bruising adventure on a bobsleigh. At which point, he realised he was wearing his wife's underwear which he had put on by accident in the dark. Richard Bacon, pictured with Tim Henman and a fan, was sacked in 1998 • Simon Groom, who appeared on the show for eight years from 1978 to 1986, along with his dog Goldie, once said on the show: "What a beautiful pair of knockers." He was commenting on replacements for the historical door knocker at Durham Cathedral. • In 1987, it was revealed that Janet Ellis was an unmarried mother.

The presenter - who left the show following the birth of her second child, Jack - already had a daughter, the future pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor. • Richard Bacon became the first Blue Peter presenter to be sacked, in October 1998, after he admitted taking cocaine, following reports in a tabloid newspaper. Lorraine Heggessey, then head of BBC Children's programmes, apologised on air. • In 2007, presenters were forced to apologise after faking the results of a phone-in competition. A technical problem led to a visiting child posing as a competition winner. "We let you down," Konnie Huq told viewers. APPEALS • In the programme's early years, Christopher Trace presented Christmas toy reviews. The first appeal began with the idea of giving, rather than receiving toys - with the audience asked to send in toys for members of the audience who would not be receiving any.

Totalisers, to tot up donations, are a mainstay of Blue Peter appeals • It is estimated that, across 46 Blue Peter appeals, the equivalent of more than ï¿½100m in today's money has been raised, while 14 Bring and Buy Sale initiatives have netted the equivalent of about ï¿½57m. • Blue Peter appeals have raised money to help buy: 8,350 lavatories, 57 lorries, 32 ponies, 25 lifeboats - some of which can still be found at seven lifeboat stations around the UK - 12 Romanian houses, eight flats for homeless people, six bungalows, three caravans, three schools, two guide dogs and two day centres. THE BLUE PETER GARDEN • Following the launch of the garden at BBC Television Centre in 1974, gardener Percy Thrower became a household name alongside the show's presenters. He retired in 1988, and was followed by Chris Crowder, Clare Bradley and Chris Collins.

Blue Peter gardener Percy Thrower became a household name • In November 1983, the garden was devastated by vandals, leaving Thrower in tears. • In 2000, footballer Les Ferdinand, who was brought up close to Television Centre, told reporters he had been involved in the raid on the Blue Peter garden. But last year, he told the Guardian newspaper that, under pressure from journalists, he had made the story up as a joke. • George the tortoise, Blue Peter's longest-surviving pet who died at the age of 81, is the only animal to have been buried in the Blue Peter garden. • Three time capsules have been buried around BBC Television Centre. The first, buried in 1971, had to be moved because of building development. A second was buried in 1984, and another in 2000 - scheduled to be opened in 2029. • Another millennium time capsule was hidden under the building that is now the O2 arena in south-east London, as part of the build up to 2000, and will be opened in 2050.

BADGES • Introduced in 1963, the Blue Peter badge was Biddy Baxter's idea. She wanted to generate fresh ideas for the programme and offered the badges as an incentive to eager young viewers to write in. Lesley Judd, brought into the show in 1972, gives a badge to a viewer • The badge allows free admission into 200 venues around the UK. However, in 2006, the scheme was briefly suspended when the badges were found to have been auctioned on the eBay website. • There are six types of badges now in existence - blue, green, purple, orange, silver and gold. • The Gold Blue Peter Badge is the show's highest honour and is awarded to those who have displayed, among other things, exceptional courage, or have represented their country in an international event. • Famous gold badge winners include the Queen - who visited the studio in 2001 - author JK Rowling and footballer David Beckham. • Olympic bronze medallist Bryony Stokes wore her Blue Peter badge as she windsurfed to victory at the Beijing Olympics 2008.

ANIMALS • Among the Blue Peter pets there have been eight dogs, five tortoises, nine cats and two parrots. Presenters Michael Sundin and Simon Groom with tortoise George in 1985 • Fred the tortoise, who first appeared on 21 October 1963, had to be renamed Freda, after it was discovered, four years later, that he was actually a girl. • Bonnie, a much-loved golden retriever, was given a Gold Blue Peter badge on her retirement in 1991. • John Noakes' catchphrase, "get down Shep", used to control his canine companion, was incorporated into a pop song of the same name by The Barron Knights in 1978, reaching number 44 in the charts. • And finally, in 1969, Lulu the elephant famously defecated, urinated and dragged her keeper through the mess in the studio. During the chaotic scenes, the keeper could be heard shouting for someone to fetch "me stick".

Lulu the elephant is one of Blue Peter's most fondly-remembered guests As Peter Purves explains: "During rehearsals, anytime he wanted the elephant to do anything, he had a chain around its neck and he'd pull it, the elephant wouldn't go and he'd bonk it on the head with a stick and Biddy thought it looked cruel. "She said, 'Would you please do it without a stick,' - so he did. The elephant went wherever it liked - end of story." Magpie Magpie by • Kids TV , TV Shows - 1960s , TV Shows - 1970s 1 9 6 8 - 1 9 8 0 (UK) ITV had no real challenger to Blue Peter until 1968 when Thames Television invited Sue Turner, whose background was in current affairs, to find the answer. The result was Magpie - a magazine show aimed at eight to fourteen-year-olds which was to provide genuine competition for Blue Peter. The show was made in Thames' Studio 3 at Teddington and was transmitted as a live outside broadcast - originally on Tuesdays - using the studio and surrounding lock area.

Magpie first aired at 5.10 pm on Tuesday 30 July 1968 (Thames' first day on ITV after the network ended their contract with ATV and Rediffusion) and the cartoon magpie mascot was called Murgatroyd. The popular 'Captain Fantastic' segment was brought across from Do Not Adjust Your Set starring David Jason as the raincoated and moustachioed Captain and Denise Coffey as The Evil Mrs Black. The Magpie format changed in 1969 to a twice weekly, 25 minute show which aired on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A further change came in August 1972 when the broadcast days were altered to Tuesdays and Fridays. The first presenters were Susan Stranks (who had been the 'typical teenager' on the maiden panel of Juke Box Jury ), Tony Bastable and former disc jockey Pete Brady. Sue Stranks holds a very important place in the hearts and minds of English males of a certain age. For a start she rarely wore a bra (it was the fashion) and I thought she was absolutely gorgeous when I was 13.

The Magpie Sixpence Appeal was an annual charity fund raising exercise and during the appeal the running total was shown each programme, indicated by the length of a red line running first around Studio 3, then out into the corridor and, potentially, around the entire Teddington Studio complex. While Blue Peter appeals asked for silver foil, brown paper or old socks, Magpie simply asked for plain old cash . . . In total, Magpie lasted 12 years. Other hosts included Jenny Hanley, Mick Robertson, Tommy Boyd and Douglas Rae. The final programme, broadcast on 6 June 1980, invited the original three presenters back to compete in a 'Table Cloth Removing' contest. While the show was popular with a certain type of kid, it never had anyone to compare with Blue Peter's John Noakes. If Noakes was haring around the Isle of Man TT course, the Magpie team would be in the studio playing with their Scalextric , and if he was scaling the north face of the Eiger you had the feeling they would answer it by purchasing a return ticket on the Snowdon mountain railway.

Presenter Jenny Hanley is the daughter of the late Jimmy Hanley, who was the presenter of ITV's popular Admag show Jim's Inn from 1957 to 1963, and one of the regulars on The Five O' Clock Club (1963 - 1966). The ten numbered Magpie badges each signified that you had done something special. This is what you had to do to get each badge . . . One for Sorrow - Spend one night or more in hospital and let Magpie know. Your nurse or doctor (or parents) had to sign the letter. Two for Joy - Pass any sort of test or exam. Your teacher had to sign your letter to Magpie. Three for a Girl and Four for a Boy - These badges were given to girls or boys who wrote an interesting letter to Magpie on any subject they chose. A good painting or drawing would also qualify. Five for Silver - You were awarded this badge if you sent in a really original idea for a Magpieprogramme item. Six for Gold - All you had to do to qualify for this badge was to send Magpie a tall story, preferably of your own invention.

Seven for a Secret Never to be Told - You could not nominate yourself for this badge. It was reserved for one of your friends who had done a good deed. Of course there was nothing to stop you doing your won good deed and asking a friend to write about the deed to Magpie. Eight for a Wish - All runners up in Magpie competitions received this badge. Nine for a Kiss - Jenny gave this badge to any boy or girl who learned to swim since 1 July 1970. Your letter had to be signed by a parent or guardian. Mick gave it to anyone who wrote to him about a visit to an interesting place (such as a museum, art gallery etc) and told him what they liked best about their visit and what they learned from it. Doug gave the badge to anyone who took up a sport they had never done before, or who introduced a friend to a new sport. Ten for a Bird You Must Not Miss - You could only be awarded this big enamel badge if you actually appeared on Magpie (hence the TV set on it).

The original Magpie badge - with Murgatroyd on it - was only given for an especially good letter or drawing or anything which took much more time and trouble than usual to complete. You could not ask for this badge. Presenters BBC News Online | Fifty facts about Blue Peter at 50 Fifty facts about Blue Peter at 50 15 October 08 07:51 GMT As Blue Peter celebrates 50 years on air, we look back at some of the show's highlights and institutions. IN THE BEGINNING • Blue Peter, the longest-running children's programme in the world, was first broadcast - for 15 minutes - on 16 October 1958. It was originally supposed to fill a six-week gap in scheduling. • The show is named after the blue-and-white flag flown on a ship's yard arm to show it is ready to go to sea - suggesting a voyage of discovery for viewers.

• Although Blue Peter was the brainchild of producer John Hunter Blair in 1958, it was only following the 1962 arrival of Biddy Baxter - together with new director Edward Barnes - that things like appeals, foreign trips, competition, pets and sticky-backed plastic began to appear. • Housewife Margaret Parnell sent in the first idea for the "here's one I made earlier" section in 1963 - and ultimately spent nearly 40 years devising more than 700 "makes". • The Thunderbirds Tracy Island model remains the show's most popular make with more than 100,000 viewers requesting a factsheet. Presenter Anthea Turner still owns the original she crafted on the show in 1993. Another favourite was the Christmas advent crown made from coat hangers and fireproof tinsel. • On 30 July 1968, ITV launched Magpie - a rival show made by Thames Television which launched on the new licensee's first day of broadcast. The programme, which had a mascot called Murgatroyd the magpie, aimed to be hipper than its BBC counterpart.

Blue Peter eventually saw it off in 1980. • There have been only six editors in the show's 50-year history. The first was Ms Baxter who stepped up from producer into the newly-created role in 1965. She was followed by Lewis Bronze, Oliver Macfarlane, Steve Hocking, Richard Marson and current editor Tim Levell. • The programme blazed a trail for many subsequent BBC shows by breaking out of the studio and making full use of BBC Television Centre as a location. Initially, this prompted a memo from BBC management warning that "Television Centre is not a place of entertainment". • Blue Peter has won 40 awards, including a special award at the TV Baftas in 1998 for "outstanding contribution to children's television". PRESENTERS • According to Biddy Baxter, Blue Peter creator John Hunter Blair had two passions - 00 gauge railways and attractive women. The first presenters of the show were 00 gauge railway enthusiast Christopher Trace and 21-year-old Leila Williams, crowned Miss Great Britain the previous year.

• Yorkshireman John Noakes presented the programme for 12 and a half years between 1965 and 1978. He left at the age of 45, making him the longest-serving of the 34 Blue Peter presenters. • Anita West had the briefest stint, spending four months on the show - from 7 May to 3 September 1962 - before returning to her acting career. • Yvette Fielding, who was 18 when she joined the show in 1987, was its youngest-ever presenter. • The classic line-up of John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves presented the show for five years from 1967 to 1972. • Peter Duncan, who wore trademark green-and-white checked outfits, is the only presenter to have had two stints on Blue Peter - between 1980 and 1984, and 1985 and 1986. He was awarded a gold Blue Peter badge in February 2007 in recognition of his work as Chief Scout.

• Like John Noakes, whose "long fall" earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest freefall parachute jump by a civilian, Peter Duncan became associated with daredevil stunts. He went on to host Duncan Dares after quitting Blue Peter. • In January 1990, Diane-Louise Jordan became Blue Peter's first black presenter. Louise-Jordan, who stayed in the show for six years, now hosts Songs of Praise. • Presenters who became more well-known after leaving the show include John Leslie, who had a relationship with Catherine Zeta Jones while he was in Blue Peter, Sarah Greene and the late Caron Keating. • Greene, who fronted the show from 1980 to 1983, met her future husband, former TV presenter Mike Smith, while she was being filmed learning to dive at the wreck of sunken ship the Mary Rose. • Keating, who hosted the show from 1986 to 1990, died tragically at the age of 41.

The daughter of TV presenter Gloria Hunniford, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and died at her mother's home in April 2004. IN ANOTHER LIFE • Prior to working on Blue Peter, Peter Duncan appeared nude in the British film The Lifetaker. He also briefly starred in the cult film, Flash Gordon, in which he was killed by a tree monster. • Singer James Blunt - then James Blount - appeared on the show as a child, as did Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and presenter Konnie Huq. • Household names who applied to become Blue Peter presenters before they found fame include Gail Porter, Morse star Kevin Whately, The Bill's Todd Carty and Tiswas presenter Sally James. • Peter Purves, who appeared between 1967 and 1978, previously starred as the doctor's assistant in early episodes of hit BBC show Doctor Who. GAFFES AND SCANDALS • Host John Noakes was famously asked to drop his trousers after a bruising adventure on a bobsleigh. At which point, he realised he was wearing his wife's underwear which he had put on by accident in the dark.

• Simon Groom, who appeared on the show for eight years from 1978 to 1986, along with his dog Goldie, once said on the show: "What a beautiful pair of knockers." He was commenting on replacements for the historical door knocker at Durham Cathedral. • In 1987, it was revealed that Janet Ellis was an unmarried mother. The presenter - who left the show following the birth of her second child, Jack - already had a daughter, the future pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor. • Richard Bacon became the first Blue Peter presenter to be sacked, in October 1998, after he admitted taking cocaine, following reports in a tabloid newspaper. Lorraine Heggessey, then head of BBC Children's programmes, apologised on air. • In 2007, presenters were forced to apologise after faking the results of a phone-in competition. A technical problem led to a visiting child posing as a competition winner. "We let you down," Konnie Huq told viewers. APPEALS • In the programme's early years, Christopher Trace presented Christmas toy reviews.

The first appeal began with the idea of giving, rather than receiving toys - with the audience asked to send in toys for members of the audience who would not be receiving any. • It is estimated that, across 46 Blue Peter appeals, the equivalent of more than £100m in today's money has been raised, while 14 Bring and Buy Sale initiatives have netted the equivalent of about £57m. • Blue Peter appeals have raised money to help buy: 8,350 lavatories, 57 lorries, 32 ponies, 25 lifeboats - some of which can still be found at seven lifeboat stations around the UK - 12 Romanian houses, eight flats for homeless people, six bungalows, three caravans, three schools, two guide dogs and two day centres. THE BLUE PETER GARDEN • Following the launch of the garden at BBC Television Centre in 1974, gardener Percy Thrower became a household name alongside the show's presenters. He retired in 1988, and was followed by Chris Crowder, Clare Bradley and Chris Collins.

• In November 1983, the garden was devastated by vandals, leaving Thrower in tears. • In 2000, footballer Les Ferdinand, who was brought up close to Television Centre, told reporters he had been involved in the raid on the Blue Peter garden. But last year, he told the Guardian newspaper that, under pressure from journalists, he had made the story up as a joke. • George the tortoise, Blue Peter's longest-surviving pet who died at the age of 81, is the only animal to have been buried in the Blue Peter garden. • Three time capsules have been buried around BBC Television Centre. The first, buried in 1971, had to be moved because of building development. A second was buried in 1984, and another in 2000 - scheduled to be opened in 2029. • Another millennium time capsule was hidden under the building that is now the O2 arena in south-east London, as part of the build up to 2000, and will be opened in 2050. BADGES • Introduced in 1963, the Blue Peter badge was Biddy Baxter's idea.

She wanted to generate fresh ideas for the programme and offered the badges as an incentive to eager young viewers to write in. • The badge allows free admission into 200 venues around the UK. However, in 2006, the scheme was briefly suspended when the badges were found to have been auctioned on the eBay website. • There are six types of badges now in existence - blue, green, purple, orange, silver and gold. • The Gold Blue Peter Badge is the show's highest honour and is awarded to those who have displayed, among other things, exceptional courage, or have represented their country in an international event. • Famous gold badge winners include the Queen - who visited the studio in 2001 - author JK Rowling and footballer David Beckham. • Olympic bronze medallist Bryony Stokes wore her Blue Peter badge as she windsurfed to victory at the Beijing Olympics 2008. ANIMALS • Among the Blue Peter pets there have been eight dogs, five tortoises, nine cats and two parrots.

• Fred the tortoise, who first appeared on 21 October 1963, had to be renamed Freda, after it was discovered, four years later, that he was actually a girl. • Bonnie, a much-loved golden retriever, was given a Gold Blue Peter badge on her retirement in 1991. • John Noakes' catchphrase, "get down Shep", used to control his canine companion, was incorporated into a pop song of the same name by The Barron Knights in 1978, reaching number 44 in the charts. • And finally, in 1969, Lulu the elephant famously defecated, urinated and dragged her keeper through the mess in the studio. During the chaotic scenes, the keeper could be heard shouting for someone to fetch "me stick". As Peter Purves explains: "During rehearsals, anytime he wanted the elephant to do anything, he had a chain around its neck and he'd pull it, the elephant wouldn't go and he'd bonk it on the head with a stick and Biddy thought it looked cruel. "She said, 'Would you please do it without a stick,' - so he did.

The elephant went wherever it liked - end of story." Learn and talk about Magpie (TV series), 1960s British television series, 1968 British television programme debuts, 1970s British television series, 1980 British television programme endings Broadcast history[ edit ] The programme, made by Thames Television , was first transmitted on 30 July 1968 which was Thames Television's first day of broadcasting, and was shown weekly until 1969. From that point, until it ended on 6 June 1980, it went out twice a week with approximately 1,000 episodes being made, each 25 minutes in duration. It was not fully networked to all other ITV companies until the autumn of 1969. The first presenters were the former BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Pete Brady, Susan Stranks and Tony Bastable . Brady left the show in 1969 to be replaced by Douglas Rae , and Bastable left in 1972 when he was replaced by Mick Robertson . Jenny Hanley replaced Susan Stranks in 1974.

This lineup remained until 1977, when Tommy Boyd replaced Rae. Like Blue Peter , Magpie featured appeals for various causes and charities. Notably, however, it asked for cash donations rather than stamps or secondhand goods, familiar on Blue Peter. The cash totaliser was a long strip of paper which ran out of the studio and along the adjacent corridor walls. Unlike the BBC programme, Magpie was unscripted and the presenters were free to improvise the presentation of the show. [1] The show's mascot was a magpie called Murgatroyd. Theme song[ edit ] The theme tune was played by the Spencer Davis Group under the alias of The Murgatroyd Band, and composed by Eddie Hardin (lead voc., keyb.), Ray Fenwick (harm. voc., guit.) and Spencer Davis (harm. voc.guit.). The main lyric was cribbed from an old children's nursery rhyme : One for sorrow Ten for the Devil himself. or, alternatively, Nine for a kiss, and Ten for a big surprise!

The first seven lines of this song (from "One for sorrow" to "Seven for a secret never to be told") have been used in the last verse of the song "Magpie", by Patrick Wolf . The rhyme refers to an old English superstition concerning the portent of the number of magpies seen together in a flock. The TV programme version altered the final lines to: Eight's a wish and Nine a kiss Ten is a bird you must not miss. (a tongue-in-cheek admonition not to miss future editions of Magpie). In 1973, Magpie adopted a steam engine, "Black 5" 44806 and renamed her "Magpie" (Blue Peter already had a locomotive with the same name as the show ). After an eventful history, it is still being used today on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway , although now without the name. Magpie also adopted a boat originally called "Mankadu", and renamed "Thames Magpie". It sank. Original courtesy of Wikipedia: — Please support Wikipedia. This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia . A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia.

We're sorry, but there's no news about "Magpie (TV series)" right now. Limit to books that you can completely read online Include partial books (book previews) Oops, we seem to be having trouble contacting Twitter Support Wikipedia A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. Please add your support for Wikipedia! Searchlight Group Digplanet also receives support from Searchlight Group. Visit Searchlight Copyright © 2009-2016 Digparty. All rights reserved. Spencer Davis Group lead guitar (joined 1967 - left 1968) Ray Fenwick lead guitar, vocal (joined 1968) "My mouth fell open and I felt a chill down my spine! That was the night I discovered Rhythm and Blues for the first time" One of the most exciting and influential groups to come out of Birmingham in the early 1960s, the Spencer Davis Group is recognized for their classic and ground-breaking recordings as well as for launching Steve Winwood's music career. Spencer Davis was born on July 17, 1941 in Swansea, South Wales.

He moved to London as a teenager where he played in skiffle bands and became heavily influenced by imported American blues music. In 1960 he relocated to Birmingham and studied German at Birmingham University before working as a teacher at Whittington Oval Junior School in Yardley. In the evenings, he would play his 12 string guitar and sing traditional blues songs at various venues in the city and for a short time formed a duo with future Fleetwood Mac member Christine Perfect (see Chicken Shack ). Steve Winwood was born on May 12, 1948 at 127 Church Lane, Handsworth and lived with his family at a house on Atlantic Road in Old Oscott near Erdington. He learned to play piano at an early age and sang in the church choir along with older brother Muff (Mervyn) Winwood (born June 15, 1943). The brothers both learned to play guitar with the initial interest being jazz as was popular at that time. The boys' father played saxophone in a local dance band and would sometimes invite the brothers up on stage to perform some jazz or rock 'n' roll numbers.

Muff Winwood remembered; "We were both playing guitars so my father said; "Why don't you play the rock 'n' roll medley with our band? We'd stand up and play three or four rock numbers in the set and it went down a storm. Steve was wearing his short trousers! In 1959 while still at school, the Winwood brothers had their first group called 'Johnny Star and The Planets' with Steve on guitar, Muff on the drums and his class mate Dave Palmer on the bass guitar. This line-up lasted for about four months. Dave Palmer then joined ' Johnny King and The Diamonds ' and later ' Shades of Blue '. Spencer Davis played solo guitar spots at the Golden Eagle pub on Hill Street in Birmingham - at that time a hangout for the city's rhythm and blues enthusiasts. In early 1963, he met the Winwood brothers performing as the 'Muff-Woody Jazz Band' at a pub in Erdington. Steve Winwood was aged 15 at the time but he posessed a vocal style that was way beyond his years and was also talented as an instrumentalist and alternated between guitar and piano on stage.

Finding common musical ground, Spencer Davis asked the brothers to join him and brought in accomplished jazz drummer Pete York (born August 15, 1942 in Middlesborough) who Spencer had met at the University Rhythm Club. Pete was already a part of the Birmingham live jazz music scene performing with the university jazz band under Harry Beaufort, winning the National Jazz Band Competition in 1963 led by Eddie Matthews. By day, Pete was employed at the GKN (Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds) screw factory. "I learned everything there about screws and screwing!" he says. "I presented the group to the Golden Eagle Club. Within two weeks we had lines around the block." Spencer's new line-up became known as 'The Rhythm and Blues Quartette'. With the addition of the Winwood brothers, young Stevie became something of a 'secret weapon' when unveiled to an unsuspecting audience and word spread quickly about this amazing young vocalist. Spencer Davis said; "I presented the group to the Golden Eagle Club.

Within two weeks we had lines around the block." A regular visitor to the Golden Eagle R&B on Monday nights was future Slade star Noddy Holder whose reaction to the group is worth quoting; "Of all the bands I saw in those days, they were the ones who impressed me the most. They had this small public address system, one of the smallest I had seen and were very unassuming on stage, and then this spotty kid on the organ suddenly opened his mouth and screamed "I LOVE THE WAY SHE WALKS..." and launched into an old John Lee Hooker number. Gosh - my mouth fell open and I felt a chill down my spine! That was the night I discovered Rhythm and Blues for the first time." A young London music promoter named Chris Blackwell had just founded the Island Records Company while running a record import business specializing in ska and reggae music from the West Indies. His first signing was 15 year old Jamaican singer Millie Small and after having huge success with her hit single 'My Boy Lollipop', Blackwell decided to travel north in search of new talent.

Upon arriving in Birmingham, and initially intending to check-out Carl Wayne and The Vikings , he was advised to go and see the Rythm and Blues Quartette which he did and was immediately impressed. The Quartette had first attracted the attention of the Decca Records label for which the group went to London for a try-out recording session. Decca offered a contract but Blackwell promised them a better deal with the Phillips owned Fontana label as distributor so they signed with Fontana along with a publishing deal at Island Records. The partnership at Island Records was an informal one based on little more than a handshake but this indiscretion would come back to haunt them years later. It was Muff Winwood who came up with the name 'Spencer Davis Group' on the pretext that the articulate Davis could do the interviews while the others stayed in bed. The first single release by the group in April 1964 was a cover of the John Lee Hooker song 'Dimples' as it was considered one of the strongest numbers they performed in their set at the time. Unfortunately, the original John Lee Hooker version was released in Britain at about the same time and became a hit thus overshadowing the Spencer Davis Group's version.

The record did sell well around the West Midlands where the band had a large following. The Spencer Davis Group took on a heavy schedule of bookings across the country and possibly because of this exposure their next three single releases 'I Can't Stand It', 'Every Little Bit Hurts' and 'Strong Love' did manage to gain chart placings. The group performed in the British film 'Pop Gear' hosted by Jimmy Savile and which also featured fellow Brum band The Rockin' Berries along with The Beatles and many other up-and-coming pop groups of that time. Muff Winwood remembered; "In those days they still had cheap bed & breakfast places for show business people. When we went up to northern clubs in Manchester, Newcastle, or Leeds, there was amazing digs in old 'Coronation Street' type terraced housing. There'd be eight people to a room with bunk beds. Dinner was served until three o'clock in the morning when people got back from work. You'd sit around the table with chorus girls and comedians and occasionally other bands. The woman and her husband would serve this ridiculous food - lashings of spuds, bacon and beans. Or we'd kip in fans flats".

It was Steve Winwood who handled the lead vocal on the A-sides of the group's singles. His vocal range and tasteful piano playing was truly amazing as demonstrated by soulful records like 'Every Little Bit Hurts' in contrast with their more up-beat numbers. Only a few songs such as 'She Put The Hurt On Me' had Spencer Davis in the vocal spotlight. There was little doubt that Winwood was the focal point of the band and therefore their main attraction. Up to this time, the songs performed and recorded by the Spencer Davis Group were covers of existing blues and R&B standards but Chris Blackwell brought in Jamaican singer/songwriter Jackie Edwards to compose the next three singles for the group. The first was 'Keep On Running' which was transformed by the group into a rocking R&B number with the addition of a driving bass riff and a unique (for that time) electric fuzz guitar effect. The result it had on the record charts was spectacular with the song knocking The Beatles off the top spot and going to Number One before the end of 1965. Muff Winwood said; "Somebody from America bought me a fuzzbox called 'The Big Muff' because of my name!

so we tried it on the record to get that sound on the opening riff". The Spencer Davis Group's first LP was soon recorded and rushed into the shops along with a hectic schedule of radio and TV appearances that followed. The band members now had to endure their new-found pop star status of being pursued by gangs of screaming girls! Success is inevitably followed by criticism. Some of the Spencer Davis Group's early supporters accused the band of "selling out" or spending more effort getting hit records than they did on playing a good blues performance but from the loads of new fans who bought their records there were certainly no complaints. It's interesting to note that Dave Mason, formerly guitarist in a Worcester group called The Hellions was employed by Spencer Davis as a part time road manager. Dave soon struck up a friendship with Steve Winwood. Upon touring Europe, the group found themselves popular - particularly in Germany where Spencers' fluent use of the language endeared them to the audiences.

The follow-up single 'Somebody Help Me', also composed by Jackie Edwards, was not as strong as the previous but still gained another Number 1 position and another Jackie Edwards/Steve Winwood composition released as the group's next A-side, 'When I Come Home', managed to reach the Number 12 spot. During 1966 the group appeared and performed in the pop music film The Ghost Goes Gear and had recorded their third album issued before the end of that year. "Steve had been singing 'gimme some loving' and just yelling out anything. We fitted it all together and by about twelve o'clock we had the whole song." For the next single release the group was pressured by Chris Blackwell to compose their own material. He booked them into London's Marquee Club rehearsal room in Wardour Street and told them to come up with something. Muff Winwood recalled; "It was eleven o'clock in the morning and we started to mess about with riffs. We hadn't been there for more than half an hour and this idea just came. Steve had been singing 'gimme some loving' and just yelling out anything.

We fitted it all together and by about twelve o'clock we had the whole song." Pleased with themselves, the group went to a nearby cafe for a break only to be interrupted a short time later by a furious Chris Blackwell who had dropped by the rehearsal room to see how it was going, only to find their equipment set up and nobody there. Muff said; "We told him 'Don't worry' and then went back and played Gimme Some Loving and he couldn't believe it! We recorded it the next day." Driven by Steve Winwood's Hammond organ along with Muff's powerful bass riff, the high-energy 'Gimme Some Lovin' became an instant classic - reaching Number 2 in the British charts and going on to make Top Ten in America. To this day it remains a staple of many party compilations and is probably the most instantly recognizable song by the group. Jimmy Miller later re-mixed the record to include extra percussion, piano and vocal backing before it was issued as a single in the USA.

Steve Winwood's growing confidence as performer and songwriter was leading to his dissatisfaction within the group and he began to hang out with other musicians, particularly Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi who was in a Midlands group called Deep Feeling and Chris Wood from the Birmingham band Locomotive . By 1967, it was clear to most that Steve Winwood had outgrown the Spencer Davis Group and encouraged by Chris Blackwell, he made known his intention to leave after the groups' current tour commitments had been fulfilled. Muff Winwood said; "We'd already decided to quit. Steve wanted to get involved in the whole psychedelic thing. There were big changes happening lifestyle-wise. I said to him 'If you wanna go, I'll go too'. We both fixed a date and it wasn't acrimonious in that sense. We decided to promote 'I'm A Man' and then quit. I've got the date in my old Melody Maker diary - April 7, 1967.

That was the last gig of a package tour with The Hollies." An excellent Spencer Davis Group single titled 'I'm A Man' (chart position 9), composed by Steve Winwood and producer Jimmy Miller, was issued in early 1967. It was the final record with Steve and Muff Winwood who had accepted a job offer from Chris Blackwell to work at the Island Records office. By this time, Steve Winwood had been rehearsing for a few months at the Elbow Room Club in Birmingham with Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood and their new group named "Traffic" had been signed to Island Records by Chris Blackwell (see Traffic for more about Steve Winwood). During the summer of 1967, Spencer Davis put together a new Spencer Davis Group line-up. Following extensive auditions and much consideration, keyboard whiz kid Eddie Hardin and guitarist Phil Sawyer were selected. Eddie recalled; "My family knew Paul Jones of Manfred Mann who was touring with Spencer at the time Steve was leaving. Paul recommended me to Spencer who came round to see me.

I played a bit and that was that!" One of the rejected applicants was a young piano player named Reginald Dwight who would later launch his own career after re-naming himself "Elton John". The 'new' Spencer Davis Group appeared in and performed songs for the comedy/drama film Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush with Steve Winwood's Traffic also contributing songs including the title track. The first Spencer Davis Group single to be issued without Winwood in the line-up was 'Time Seller' composed by Spencer Davis and Eddie Hardin that reached Number 30 in August 1967. This record was quite innovative and progressive sounding for the time with a heavy cello backing and seemed to indicate a new and promising musical direction for the group. Phil Sawyer left the band at the end of the year and was replaced by Ray Fenwick who joined in time to appear on the next single 'Mr Second Class' that only got to Number 35 in the record chart. A new Spencer Davis Group album titled With Their New Face On was also released in early 1968 and although it was a strong collection of songs it was overshadowed by the publicity surrounding Traffic's debut album.

"Steve was off having fun with his new mates and everybody was telling Spencer and I we were finished" Pete York said; "With the departure of Muff and Steve we lost some of the blues and jazz feeling, and psychedelic music was emerging around us. I didn't mind any of that, I just played what I felt fitted or helped. There was a lot of resentment and disappointment after the break-up. Much like a marriage going wrong. Steve was off having fun with his new mates and everybody was telling Spencer and I we were finished. Not a good time." With the departure of Steve Winwood the magic seemed to have gone. Another Spencer Davis Group single composed by Ray Fenwick titled 'After Tea' sounded like an attempt to duplicate Traffic's sound but it failed to chart. In October of 1968 Eddie Hardin and Pete York left to form the critically-acclaimed and successful duo "Hardin and York". They were replaced by Nigel Olsson and Pete Murray but after a final single and a cancelled album, Spencer Davis disbanded the group.

Davis initially re-located to Germany and later moved to the USA but the Spencer Davis Group's last stab at fame came about unusually when the adopted theme song for ITV's popular childrens TV show 'Magpie' turned out to have been recorded by the late 60s line-up of the Spencer Davis Group under a pseudonym "The Murgatroyd Band". Muff Winwood who left the group at the same time as Steve, had taken a job offer from Chris Blackwell to work for Island Records as sales and promotion agent. He worked for Island until 1978 when he accepted a job as senior executive at Sony Records. In this capacity, he played a major role in the launching of some of the biggest British music stars of the 1980s and 90s. Pete York moved to Germany where he lives today and continues to play drums which involved occasional touring and recording with his long-time friend Eddie Hardin. Pete has also appeared on recordings and on stage with many famous names in music from the 1960s and 1970s.

Pete hosted his own influential television show called 'Super Drumming' that ran for three seasons in Germany and is still the first and only TV show on a national channel dedicated to drumming and the percussive arts. Pete remains a highly respected drummer and has his own terrific website at: Spencer Davis returned to music in the 70s and 80s which included a short-lived Spencer Davis Group reunion (without the Winwood brothers) in 1973. He lives today on the American west coast and still performs and tours with various line-ups of The Spencer Davis Group in both the USA and Europe. He remains a highly-respected musician whose legacy in rock music history should not be underestimated. "Stevie never sounded so good with Traffic , Blind Faith, or Airforce as he did with us." he sometimes says, and with some justification. The 1980s saw the re-union of the original Spencer Davis Group line-up in a courtroom setting with the former members suing the Island Records company for un-paid royalties (none of them had been paid for recordings made prior to 1968). A settlement was eventually reached after a costly legal battle.

Sources: 'The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock' 1982; 'The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles' 5th edition 1985; 'Back In The High Life - a biography of Steve Winwood' by Alan Clayson 1988; 'Eight Gigs a Week' CD book by John Reed 1996; 'Record Collector Magazine' February 1996; and 'Midland Beat' various issues. I'm also grateful to Pete York who provided much additional information. Show your support to re-unite the original line-up of the Spencer Davis Group for a performance at Birmingham Town Hall. Click HERE for details!

To see an exclusive BrumBeat interview with Pete York, click HERE Copyright © John R Woodhouse The Spencer Davis Group 1960s Record Releases (highest UK chart position in brackets) Singles: Dimples/Sittin' And Thinkin' (Fontana TF 471) May 1964 I Can't Stand It/Midnight Train (Fontana TF 499) October 1964 (47) Every Little Bit Hurts/It Hurts me So (Fontana TF 530) January 1965 (41) Strong Love/This Hammer (Fontana TF 571) May 1965 (44) Keep On Running/High Time Baby (Fontana TF 632) November 1965 (1) Somebody Help Me/Stevie's Blues (Fontana TF 679) March 1966 (1) When I Come Home/Trampoline (Fontana TF 739) August 1966 (12) Gimme Some Lovin'/Blues In F (Fontana TF 762) October 1966 (2) I

'm A Man/I Can't Get Enough Of It (Fontana TF 785) January 1967 (9) Time Seller/Don't Want You No More (Fontana TF 854) July 1967 (30) Mr Second Class/Sanity Inspector (United Artists UP 1203) December 1967 (35) After Tea/Moonshine (United Artists UP 2213) March 1968 Short Change/Picture Of Heaven (United Artists UP 2226) December 1968 Albums: Their First LP (Fontana TL 5242) July 1965 (6) Second Album (Fontana TL 5295) January 1966 (3) Autumn '66 (Fontana TL 5359) September 1966 (4) With Their New Face On (United Artists ULP 1192) 1968 Extended Players: She Put The Hurt On Me/I'm Getting Better/I'll Drown In My Own Tears/Goodbye Stevie (Fontana TE 17444) 1965

 Every Little Bit Hurts/It Hurts Me So/I Can't Stand It/Midnight Train (Fontana TE 17450) August 1965 Sittin' And Thinkin'/Dimples/Searchin'/Jump Back (Fontana TE ) June 1966 Some official Spencer Davis Group related websites are listed below:

Question: Which UK children’s tv show, launched in 1968, had a mascot called Murgatroyd?
Answer: Magpie